Divers carve pumpkins underwater for Florida Keys contest

Tuesday

Participants used knives and fine carving tools to transform their orange gourds into sea creatures.

KEY LARGO, Fla. (AP) — A group of scuba divers submerged 30 feet beneath the surface to sculpt jack-o-lanterns during the annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest in the Florida Keys.

Detroit's Josephine Walker and Stephanie McClary crafted moray eels embracing a heart to win the competition this weekend at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Other carvings included stingrays, an octopus, jellyfish, a "Protect Our Coral" message, and traditional toothy grins.

Participants used knives and fine carving tools to transform their orange gourds into sea creatures. They had to keep the naturally buoyant pumpkins from floating away while they carved.

This story was originally published by the Associated Press, and was shared to other Florida newspapers in the GateHouse Media network via the Florida Wire. The Florida Wire, which runs across digital, print and video platforms, curates and distributes Florida-focused stories. For more Florida stories, visit here, and to support local media throughout the state of Florida, consider subscribing to your local paper.

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